Saving My Own Lamb
by MultipleMiggs
Summary: Lecter finally lets go of Mischa and accepts her death
1. Rebeginning

Clarice sat in the coldest room in the apartment reading Marcus Aurelius. She never called this apartment a home. She never had a home, except with her father and mother back in West Virginia. Now, since her father was gone and not talking too often with her mother, Clarice was alone. Even dearest Ardelia had left, due to the Bureau's making her Assistant Director Mapp. The only thing Clarice had now was her apartment and her puppy, Lucky. Clarice never felt happy now, except a few moments playing with Lucky, and even then she felt something was missing. She had felt that since Dr. Lecter had left her alone at Chesapeake. Chesapeake. The only thing Clarice wanted to forget, and to not forget too. She wanted to forget Paul Krendler's greusome demise. She wanted to remember how Hannibal had injured himself to save her pain.

She placed the bookmark back into the book and sat it quietly on the table. Lucky was asleep on the other end of the couch. She then picked up a small, shiny object on the table. A key. "How stupid was I? If I had given him the key, he wouldn't have hurt himself." Clarice laid the key back down onto the table. It was one of the few things she had to remember him by. The FBI had taken away not only her Lecter things, but her job and health benefits too. "Fcking Bureau of the Insane is a better name for that "organization". Come here, Lucky." Clarice picked up the papillon and petted her. "You're the only one who loves me for who I really am" Clarice said gently to the dog.

Hannibal Lecter stood outside the window and said to himself, "That's what you think... Clarice."

"Well, Lucky, it's time to go to sleep. You have a vet's appointment tomorrow for your shots. Then you will be "Unlucky". Oh dear God I'm talking to a dog." Clarice smiled to herself. Lucky hopped into his little dog bed and fell asleep. It wasn't that easy for Clarice to fall asleep. It's hard to fall asleep when you know that you will wake up to the awful screaming of the lambs. She didn't know that Hannibal Lecter would be there tonight to save her from that.


	2. Seeing Her, Needing Her

Hannibal turned the door knob to Clarice's room. He spotted a dog sleeping in the corner. He could see her sleeping figure in the darkness. He saw, even in the darkness, the light pink colour of her bedspread and her even breathing. He walked up within inches of her, not meaning to wake her. She instantly opened her eyes.

"Hannibal? I mean Dr. Lecter?" she said confused. "I did not mean to wake you Clarice. I hope I did not scare you too bad. I have not heard from you lately, Clarice. I am slightly disappointed in you. I have been wanting to know about those lambs, Clarice. Are they still screaming? Saving poor Catherine only stopped them for a little while Clarice, didn't it?" Clarice looked at him. He looked so different. And still the same. "Yes, Dr. Lecter. I want them to go away. After I saved Catherine, they were gone for only a month. They only stopped as long as the fame lasted. I didn't want to be famous, Dr. Lecter. I only wanted them to stop. And I wanted to save Catherine."

After further thought, Clarice began a new subject. "Why did you come here Dr. Lecter?" Hannibal stared at her, his maroon eyes watching her blue ones. "Please, do call me Hannibal. And I came here, believe it or not, to take you away. And your little dog Lucky too." "Dr. - Hannibal, where would we go? And why do you want me to go with you?" His eyes still looked deeply into hers. "I want you to go with me because... I need you Clarice. Now, I can not tell you where we are going until we get there. Would you like me to help you pack?"

After declining Hannibal's offer to pack, Clarice packed everything that meant something to her. Her grandmother's blanket, her mother's card for Clarice's 33rd birthday, and a picture of Clarice and her father. Clarice held the framed photo up, after turning on the light, to see it one more time before placing it into her luggage. A single tear escaped her eyes. It was not time to dwell on the past though. It was time to pack.


	3. Flying Freely

Clarice Starling's favorite mode of transportation wasn't exactly a plane. This was the first time she had traveled first class though. She stared out of the window, looking at the clear blue skies. She then looked to her left at Hannibal. He was reading a paperback novel, listening to music, and watching her all at once. He looked up at her and smiled. Today was the beginning of their new life. A new life together. She leaned against his shoulder, wondering what this new life they were starting would be like.

"Hannibal? Will you please tell me where we are going?" Her eyes were full of excitement and wonder as she said that, Hannibal noticed.

"Ah. Well, that would take the fun out of it. But I am sure you are dying to know, Clarice." He closed his book after placing his bookmark in it. "I do hope that you like Naples, it is a lovely place. Especially this time of year." She smiled, then turned back to the window, staring at the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It's blue waves made her lose her train of thought and she did not notice when Hannibal put his arm around her shoulder . She finally looked back over to him, his eyes weren't as dark and mysterious as before. She saw something different in them. They were the same eyes they had always been. It just seemed that they were not hiding something anymore. "What's wrong Clarice?" His words were soft, not nearly as harsh as they were before.

"I'm just... happy. I've never felt like this before Hannibal. All these years, Hannibal, I've never felt nothing like what I feel when I'm with you. Not even when I had my father, or my mother. I just don't know how to explain it." Her words were placed deep within his memory palace. He had built a new room there, and had named it " Vivere Insieme". It had only one memory there, the memory of saving Clarice. Saving his own lamb. Saving the very thing that willed him to wake up in the morning. Saving her, taking her. Now his only task was to keep here. In Naples, with him. The only thing that could stop him now was her.

"Clarice, I'm happy too. I am more than happy. And we will continue to get happier, Clarice. Do you want to see pictures of our new home?" He pulled some pictures out of his pocket to show her the house, the gardens, the yards, and most pleasing, a lake in the backyard, and a swimming pool. Clarice smiled.

"We'll be landing soon. We are to land in Naples Capodichino Airport. Then we are almost home."


	4. Letting Go

Disclaimer: (I KEEP FORGETTING IT SORRY!!!!!!) Not keepin' em. You can have 'em. I only wanna play with 'em. I promise I'll give 'em back. Well.. you might not get Lecter back... OKAY OKAY you'll get him back.

Hannibal handed Clarice the key and watched as she opened the door to their new home.The door was beautifully made, with very intricate designs on it. Her eyes widened as she saw the inside of the home. The furniture and decor reminded her of all the pictures that she had seen in magazines. She gently sat her luggage on the floor and wandered throughout the room. It was obvious that she was happy with her surroundings. "Wait until you see upstairs, Clarice." Hannibal said softly. She then ran hurriedly up the stairs, Hannibal following not far behind. "Are you tired? I can show you your room, and we can continue the tour of the house later" Clarice smiled and agreed, and finally went to sleep.

_My dearest Mischa,_

_I hope you can hear me and see me. I still love you, but now I have someone who I love just as much. I'll never forget you. Just like I'll never forget Clarice. You will always have a place to stay inside my heart. But now there is someone else that has stolen my heart too. You would love her. She would love you too. But the past is the past Mischa. I can not change what happened, and I'm sorry that it happened. Everything must happen for a reason, though, Mischa. I tried my best to bring you back, and I now know I can not. I'm sorry. But there is no point in being sorry. Just wanted you to know that I still love you, little one. I miss you too. Good-bye, Mischa. It's finally time for me to let you go._

Dr. Lecter woke from his sleep. He raised himself from the dark red over-stuffed couch and walked into the kitchen. He fixed him a glass of water. _Good-bye, Mischa. It's finally time for me to let you go. _Had he really let her go? He smiled. He loved her so, but it lifted a great weight off his shoulders to let her go. His thoughts ran back to Clarice. He saw her coming down the stairs then, in a bathing suit. "Let's put the tour on hold again, I want to go swimming." Hannibal ran up the steps, and within minutes, had managed to change into his swimming shorts and grab two towels. She smiled and walked outside towards the pool.

I'm having a lot of fun writing this and I know the chapters are really short. I'm trying to get two done at a time, but I usually have little time. Thanks for the reviews ev1. Multiple Miggs


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